Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Lydia Vanderloo

Baby boomers may know him for '60s psychedelic hits such as "Mellow Yellow" and "The Hurdy Gurdy Man," but with Pied Piper, Scottish singer Donovan proves himself a "Sunshine Superman" for their kids as well. As long on charm and tunefulness as he is in the tooth, Donovan retains a boyish enthusiasm, whether he's revisiting songs from his catalogue -- "I Love My Shirt, the fiddle-tinged "Colours," and the bouncy "Little Boy in Corduroy" -- or crooning new ones. Throughout, the irresistible, folksy arrangements -- woven of his acoustic guitar playing with strings, fiddle, banjos, harmonica, and a children's choir -- complement his jaunty melodies. New numbers include ...

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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble
- Lydia Vanderloo

Baby boomers may know him for '60s psychedelic hits such as "Mellow Yellow" and "The Hurdy Gurdy Man," but with Pied Piper, Scottish singer Donovan proves himself a "Sunshine Superman" for their kids as well. As long on charm and tunefulness as he is in the tooth, Donovan retains a boyish enthusiasm, whether he's revisiting songs from his catalogue -- "I Love My Shirt, the fiddle-tinged "Colours," and the bouncy "Little Boy in Corduroy" -- or crooning new ones. Throughout, the irresistible, folksy arrangements -- woven of his acoustic guitar playing with strings, fiddle, banjos, harmonica, and a children's choir -- complement his jaunty melodies. New numbers include the story-song "Jackie Beanstock" and "People Call Me the Pied Piper," which features his grandchildren on harmony vocals. On the latter, Donovan sings, "All the children in the world, brown and white and boy and girl/Know the secret meaning to my song," and his words ring true. Kids of all ages will have no trouble following this charismatic Pied Piper.

All Music Guide
- Steve Leggett

It is difficult to say why this album designed for children doesn't work any better than it does. Perhaps it's because everything here is so quaint, and quaintness is a distinctly adult notion, a close cousin to willful nostalgia, and neither trait is anything that most kids would even bother exploring. Mixing in older songs like "Mandolin Man and His Secret" and "Little Boy in Corduroy" with a handful of newer pieces and what must be the 400th version of "Colours", Donovan actually does here what he has really always done, and that is make a pleasant, at times even interesting, album for adults who want to feel like they're children again. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. Just don't try selling it to the kids, because they undoubtedly wouldn't sit still for it.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

The Pied Piper INDEED!

This new CD is a must have for Donovan fans, young and old alike, good clean fun for the entire family. The new songs are very good, I especially like ''Jackie Beanstalk''. Buy one today, you'll thank me.

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